Artist Michelle Shocked

Dallas chanteuse Michelle Shocked fashions herself as quick-witted and not beneath appreciating a good pun in her lyrics—hence Karen Michelle Johnson’s chosen stage name. Since 1986, her music has been fairly unpredictable but comfortably rooted in the rock tradition. On 2009’s Soul Of My Soul, she experimented with something new: directness. It’s part of Shocked’s effort to “jettison rage without losing the ability to feel strong feelings,” according to her bio. Shocked apparently has strong feelings for her back catalog, using a 2010 tour as an excuse to celebrate the “20th anniversary” of Arkansas Traveler, which was actually released in 1992.

Updated 05/01/2012